


Tremble Not, My Dear Child

by TerraCody



Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions/Golden Deer Joint Route, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Headcanon, Kissing, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCody/pseuds/TerraCody
Summary: On the eve of the decisive battle, Ashe’s life changes very drastically and the future before him appears very unfamiliar. How can he measure up to the sudden expectations of him? Will he have to face it alone?
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: The Night Before the Decisive Battle [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841431
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Tremble Not, My Dear Child

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its characters are the property of Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo, and Nintendo. I feel that I found my groove with my writing. So much so that I’m starting a second series that I’ve been brainstorming: The Night Before the Decisive Battle. These are nonlinear fanfics and will feature multiple couples with varying themes. All of the fanfics though have the same common link; they all take place on the day of 29th Verdant Rain Moon, Imperial Year 1186. I.e. the day before the Final Battle in Azure Moon.
> 
> As you can see by the tabs this is an Ashe/Annette centered fanfic. I absolutely cannot resist this pairing—they are just so adorable together. What I also find intriguing about them is that I feel like the Ashe and Gilbert Supports and Annette and Gilbert Supports enhance the pairing between Ashe and Annette. If you fangirl over this pairing too, then I hope you enjoy this story. Just minor warnings for spoilers and OOC. I hope you enjoy.

_29th of the Verdant Rain Moon, Imperial Year 1186_

”Here you are, Gildas.” Ashe Ubert couldn’t keep the smile from his face or voice as he set down the plate of food in front of his comrade. “I know I’ve been away a lot and tomorrow’s a big day, so I made all of your favorites.”

The black and white cat didn’t seem to hear him, launching right into his hearty dinner. Ashe laughed and scratched the back of Gildas’s neck lightly. “I told the cooks what your favorite meals are and they said they would take care of you until I get back.” He paused for a moment, and the smile slipped from his face. “Say, Gildas. How would you like to come home with me?” Gildas predictably didn’t respond to him. Ashe continued. “I’ve made you my responsibility after all, so it would make sense that I continue to be responsible for you. I’ll introduce you to my younger brother and sister. You’ll like them.” 

Ashe looked towards the ceiling briefly. “Of course, Caspar is fond of you too, so he might want to—”

The doors to Ashe’s room suddenly slammed open. Ashe yelped and jumped to his feet. Gildas was so busy eating that he didn’t react at all.

”Ashe, come on!” Caspar von Bergliez was gasping for breath and twitching with excitement where he stood. “We need to get to the Cathedral now!”

”What’s wrong? What happened?” Ashe sputtered with alarm. He quickly looked for his bow.

”Nothing bad happened! Dimitri just made an announcement that he’s granting knighthood to _anyone_ who’s interested! The Professor and him are at the Cathedral right now knighting people!”

”R-Really?!” Ashe felt a jolt of excitement in his body. 

“Come on, let’s go!” Caspar grabbed him by the arm. “Dimitri’s opened knighthood to everyone, regardless of social status! You want to be a knight, right?! We need to go or we’ll be waiting forever!”

”Y-Yes, let’s go! Gildas I’ll be right back!” He called over his shoulder. Gildas didn’t even look up.

_I can be a true knight?! I’m going to be a knight!_

Ashe took off running after Caspar, around the Classroom building towards the Central Building. Overhead he heard a loud whoosh and he glanced up. He recognized Ingrid Brandi Galatea riding her Pegasus Daphne. Ashe guessed from the direction she had been flying that she had just come from the Cathedral, so she may have been one of the first people knighted by Dimitri. Ingrid guided Daphne towards the ground in font of the Classrooms, and a messenger suddenly appeared waving a letter.

Ashe looked away as the messenger presented the letter to Ingrid, and ahead of them he saw men, women, and children even all racing through the doors into the Central Building, no doubt also heading for the Cathedral. “It looks like we’ll be waiting regardless!” He called ahead to Caspar.

”Then we’ll run faster and get a better place in line!” Caspar shouted back to him. 

As Ashe entered the Central Building, he spotted Sylvain Jose Gautier at a distance near the Cemetery, and it looked like someone was handing him an envelope. Shaking his head, Ashe rounded the corner behind Caspar towards the bridge connecting the Central Building to the Cathedral. His hear sank when he saw a massive line spilling from the Cathedral doors all the way down the steps of the bridge. He shook his head and picked up the pace. _It will be fine! I know I’ll be seen and finally become a knight!_

Ashe was lucky to get a spot right behind Caspar at the bottom of the steps. As they both gasped and heaved for breath, the line quickly grew longer behind them down the bridge back towards the Central Building. As Ashe lifted his head, up ahead of them he heard a man yelling joyfully, “I’m a knight! _I’m a knight_!”

”It’s great of Dimitri to do this,” Caspar said as he straightened. “I mean, it’s a rotten shame he couldn’t negotiate with Edelgard but knighting a bunch of people will definitely boost morale!”

”It looks like it already has,” Ashe laughed as he also straightened. He sobered slightly. “Hey Caspar?”

”What is it?”

“How would you feel i-if I...” Ashe looked away briefly before looking back at his friend. “After we capture Enbarr, how would you feel if I...if I took Gildas home with me?”

”Oh, the cat?” Caspar waved a dismissive hand. “I like him, but having a pet doesn’t fit into my life plans right now! Go ahead and take him home with you, he’d have a much stabler home with you and your siblings than he would with me!”

”Thank you, Caspar,” Ashe said, unable to hide the relief from his voice as he bowed slightly. “It sounds like you’ll be very busy after the war. Do you plan on becoming head of your family?”

Caspar laughed shortly and shook his head. “Definitely not! Leading a noble house, getting into politics—that’s not the life for me! I’d rather spend the rest of my life on a battlefield than do any of that!”

”Oh.” Ashe floundered for a moment before continuing. “I-I wonder if His Highness will allow your father and brother to maintain their stations, after they fought against us?”

”Well, that’s assuming Dimitri will leave the political structure with the nobles in the Adrestian Empire the same. Since most of the Imperial Nobles sided with Edelgard, I guess their future fates will depend on whether or not they bend the knee to Dimitri. Knowing my father...” he winced. “I...I hope he surrenders.”

“I understand completely how you feel,” Ashe said sincerely. “There’s really nothing worse than facing a loved one on the battlefield, is it? Especially when your loved one will not surrender even while defeated.” His tone trailed off in a soft and somber tone.

“Hey,” Caspar said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to face your dad on the battlefield, but you did what you had to do in order to protect other people. This is something I’ve been dealing with the last five years, and while I’ve been lucky to not have to face my father or brother on the battlefield, since we’re advancing on the capital tomorrow, and we’re planning on overthrowing the Emperor, I know it’s inevitable that I’ll have to face the both of them again. And I’ll have to live with the fact that they may not accept Dimitri as their king.”

”B-But it may not come to that,” Ashe said quickly. “His Highness has truly changed for the better since the Professor came back to us. Ever since she saved him, he’s done everything he can to minimize casualties for not only our army, but also the Imperial Army. I believe with all of my heart that he will do everything he can to avoid executing people who will not surrender to him.”

Caspar seemed to think about this for a long moment of silence. As he did, a group of young boys ran past them back towards the Central Building. All of them were screaming with excitement. “I’m a knight!”

“Prince Dimitri knighted me!”

“Out of the way, evil doers!”

Caspar finally smiled slightly and nodded. “I’m so glad she came back to us. Things were rough for a while, but thanks to the Professor we now have a ruler I can actually believe in. I don’t know how she saved Dimitri, but I’m grateful that she did.”

Ashe nodded and smiled. “I’m grateful to her too, for many things. And I’m grateful to you for trusting Gildas to me.”

”Ashe.”

Ashe looked to his right and quickly stood up a little straighter. “A-Ah, Gilbert!” Even though he looked up to him as both a mentor and friend, Ashe still felt in awe of him. And he wasn’t the only one, as several other people in line turned and pointed to Gilbert, chatting excitedly amongst themselves. “How nice to see you! Are you well?”

”Quite well,” Gilbert laughed, nodding. “I just spent some time with Annette.”

”Is that so?” Ashe knew he was not good at hiding his emotions and he felt heat on his face at the sudden hitch in his voice. He tried to cover it up with an awkward laugh. “That’s good to hear. Considering how important tomorrow is, it’s good that you got to spend time with her.”

”She’s quite excited about this new type of confectionary the cooks have baked in the Dining Hall. Several sacks of some unknown brown powder arrived with provisions yesterday, and it was initially thought to be dirt. But apparently the powder has a sweet taste to it, and there was so much of it, that they decided to bake it into cakes.” Gilbert shook his head. “Apparently the feedback has been very positive, however I have no fondness for sweets so I don’t have any desire to try it.”

”Count me out too,” Caspar said, making a face. “Who’d want to eat a dirt cake, even if it tasted sweet?”

”It might not be dirt though,” Ashe pointed out. “Although I do find it funny that somebody tasted it thinking it _was_ dirt.”

Gilbert chuckled slightly before he composed himself. “Ashe, I need you to come with me.”

”Oh, right this minute?” Ashe asked. His heart sank as he looked down the line of people. He saw the line had almost reached the Central Building.

”Yes, please,” Gilbert said. “His Highness wanted to speak with you as soon as possible.”

“O-Oh, right now? But isn’t he in the middle of knighting everyone?”

”That is precisely why he wanted to see you now.” Gilbert gestured to him as he stepped back. “Please, come with me now.”

”B-But there’s all these people who got here in line before me!” Ashe protested, gesturing to the line ahead of them. “It would be very unfair to cut the line when other people have been wait—”

”Hey, Dimitri summoned you himself right?” Caspar interrupted, hooking his arm in Ashe’s. “You can’t keep the Prince waiting! Let’s go, I’ll escort you!”

Ashe had a feeling that Caspar volunteered to be his “escort” as an excuse to skip the line too, but he didn’t voice any complaints. Neither did Gilbert as he led them both up the stairs and into the Cathedral. Ashe flushed as they walked past the people in line who had been waiting longer than he did, but to his surprise he heard no one voice any complaints at them cutting the line.

_Well, if no one else is bothered then I won’t be bothered either._

Ahead of them in front of the massive pile of debris in the Cathedral stood Crown Prince Dimitri Alexandre Baliddyd. Flanking him was his retainer Dedue Molinaro to his right and Professor Byleth to his left. Dimitri was holding Areadbhar in his hand, and Ashe recognized Raphael Kirsten kneeling before him. Ashe couldn’t help but smile when he saw Dimitri touch Areadbhar gently to each of Raphael’s soldiers. “Arise, Sir Raphael Kirsten.”

”YEAH!” Raphael whooped as the crowd clapped for him. Ashe and Caspar stopped to clap and cheer for Raphael as he jumped to his feet and pumped his fists enthusiastically. “I’m finally a knight! I’m gonna go eat to celebrate! I’m coming for you, meat!” Raphael turned around and slapped a high-five to the next person in line, which happened to be Ignatz Victor. Ashe saw Ignatz wince slightly as Raphael charged towards the doors of the Cathedral as though he were charging onto a battlefield. Ashe and Caspar quickly jumped out of the way, but Gilbert was unmoved as Raphael whipped past them. 

Byleth was about to motion Ignatz forward, but Gilbert raised his head and quickened his pace. “Forgive the interruption Your Highness, but I have brought Ashe!”

”Oh, good!” Ashe flushed slightly when he heard the enthusiasm in Dimitri’s voice and saw the enthusiasm in Dimitri’s expression when he looked at Ashe. He saw Byleth also smile at him and while Dedue didn’t smile he nodded an acknowledging nod to Ashe. Dimitri looked at the people before him. “Please excuse me, but I have to attend to a personal matter. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

 _Personal matter? Did I do something wrong?_ Ashe quickly looked at Gilbert, but he relaxed when he saw Gilbert’s encouraging smile. He looked back towards Dimitri and saw that the prince and Byleth were walking towards the doors to the left side of the Cathedral. Gilbert took Ashe by the elbow. “Let’s go, Ashe.”

”I’ll wait here then,” Caspar said. He hurried over to Ignatz. “Hey, Ignatz! Once they’re done with Ashe, why don’t we go up and get knighted at the same time?”

”O-Oh, okay,” Ignatz said, still nursing his hand.

Ashe followed Gilbert after Dimitri and Byleth, his heart hammering in his throat. This seemed important enough that Dimitri stopped knighting people to speak to Ashe in private. At least the people who stood in line only looked mildly disappointed with the delay. Ashe wasn’t one for being the center of attention and he had a feeling that whatever Dimitri wanted to speak to him about was going to possibly be life-altering.

Gilbert and Ashe walked outside and saw Dimitri and Byleth standing side by side in front of the well. Ashe hurried his pace and stood before them. “I’m here, Your Highness. How can I help you?”

Dimitri looked at Byleth and nodded with a smile. Byleth moved closer to Ashe, and Ashe realized that she was holding a very old book with visible torn pages sticking out of it. But Ashe recognized the book and his eyes widened. “I-Is that—?!”

”It is,” Byleth confirmed. “The Gaspard family ledger. When Lord Lonato’s rebellion was suppressed, the Church of Seiros seized the Gaspard estate and the region that the Gaspard family had dominion over. For the last five years that land has been owned and supervised by the Church. However...”

”However...?” Ashe echoed meekly.

Byleth’s smile brightened, and she held the book out to Ashe. “As the acting leader of the Church of Seiros, I hereby forfeit the Church’s claim to the Gaspard region. Henceforth, full titles and privileges of the Gaspard region are now restored back to the Gaspard family.”

”W-What?!” Ashe sputtered, unconsciously accepting the ledger. He looked back at Dimitri. “Y-You’re giving it back?!”

Dimitri nodded. “While Lord Lonato’s rebellion against the Church was unforgivable, I have carried a great sin all these years for my part in suppressing his rebellion and killing the civilians of that region who fought for their lord most loyally. It is but a small gesture, but giving the region back to the Gaspard family is the very least I can do in atoning for my sin.”

Ashe shook his head. “B-But the Gaspard family is gone! Lord Lonato is dead, and he had no living heirs to his name!”

”Ashe,” Gilbert interjected, his tone gentle. “ _You_ are his living heir.”

Ashe gaped at him in shock. “...Me?”

”That is correct,” Dimitri said. “Lord Lonato adopted you as his son. That makes you his living and rightful heir to the Gaspard estate and regions.”

”What this means Ashe,” Gilbert added. “Is that per primogeniture, as the oldest surviving firstborn child of Lonato Gaspard, the Professor is relinquishing the Gaspard region to _you_.”

A rush of differing emotions flooded through Ashe’s body at once. Shock, fear, elation—they jumbled up inside him in a whirlwind. He stammered incoherently, unable to form words.

“We wanted to speak to you in private about this,” Dimitri said. “Because we know that this would be overhwhelming news and we didn’t want to put you on the spot in front of everyone and make you feel that you cannot refuse this offer. But I feel that granting you lordship over the Gaspard region, and making the new head of House Gaspard, would be the best way to honor Lord Lonato’s memory. And it would be the best decision for the people of the region because I know you would take care of him.”

”F-Forgive me, Your Highness,” Ashe said finally. “But are you sure about this? I may have been Lord Lonato’s son, but I was adopted out of poverty. A-And I’m a former thief! _And_ I do not have a Crest! You remember that, right? Aren’t heads of Households chosen based on whether or not they have Crests? I have no Crest whatsoever!”

But Dimitri only shook his head. “It doesn’t matter that you don’t have a Crest. You’re Lonato’s son. _And_ you’re a good man—selfless, reliable, and compassionate. You’re also a good negotiator, and you strive to avoid bloodshed. I feel you’re capable of being a good leader, and you’re more than capable of taking care of the people. And I trust you.”

”You...trust me? A commoner former thief?”

”Of course I do.”

”I trust you too,” Byleth chimed in. Ashe quickly looked at her. “By accepting this responsibility, you would officially take the Gaspard family name and carry the formal title of Lord Ashe Gaspard. However, this is entirely your decision Ashe. I would like to relinquish the Gaspard region back to Lonato Gaspard’s son, however if you do not want to do this then I will make other arrangements.”

Ashe looked between Dimitri and Byleth, mouth agape. He clutched the Gaspard family ledger to his chest like a lifeline. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. When Lonato caught him stealing in his mansion, never in his wildest dreams would he imagine that just a decade later he would be handed Lonato’s title and position.

_Do I deserve this? Am I the right person for this? What is the right answer?_

When Ashe finally spoke, his voice was trembling. But he found the courage to say, “It would be my honor...to accept your offer.”

”Good!” Dimitri responded. He reached out and shook Ashe’s hand. “Now if it’s all right with you, I would like to announce your new title to the assembly in the Cathedral.”

Ashe only nodded and followed Dimitri back into the Cathedral with meek steps. Gilbert walked in stride with him and put his hand on Ashe’s shoulder. “You should know Ashe that I am very proud of you. No matter the answer you would’ve given His Highness, you have made me proud.”

Ashe nodded and forced a smile. “That means the world to me, Gilbert.” He felt Byleth come to his side and link her arm in his. He was comforted by her close proximity.

“I apologize for the delay!” Dimitri announced to the people waiting in line. Ashe still saw Ignatz and Caspar at the front of the line, but the line had thickened considerably. “The Professor has an announcement to make!”

The crowd immediately silenced upon hearing this. Dimitri motioned for Byleth to step forward and she did. “As acting leader of the Church of Seiros, appointed by Lady Rhea herself, I hereby declare that the crimes of House Gaspard against the Church have been expunged!”

An audible gasp overtook the crowd, and loud conversations exploded down the line of people. Byleth raised her hand, and silence slowly spread down the line and out of the Cathedral. “With this decree, the Church of Seiros hereby forfeits and transfers dominion of the Gaspard region and the Gaspard estate back to Lord Lonato’s oldest heir.” Byleth reached out and touched Ashe on the shoulder. “Ashe Gaspard.”

”WHAT?!” Caspar shrieked immediately. “Ashe! You’re a _lord_?!” He suddenly grabbed a stunned Ignatz by the collar and shook him slightly. “Ashe is a lord!”

”I-I heard to—” Ignatz gurgled from the shaking.

The crowd whooped and cheered and Ashe ducked his head and rubbed at his nape with embarrassment. “A-Ah, thank you...”

”Lord Ashe,” Dimitri said as he stepped forward. Ashe felt a flutter in his stomach at this new title. “I know you have a grand title, but would you like the title of knighthood as well?”

”Oh yes, _please_!” Ashe said earnestly, immediately kneeling before Dimitri. His heart was in his throat and he closed his eyes as he awaited the one thing he dreamt of for most of his life. He felt Areadbhar‘s blade gently touch his right shoulder, and then his left shoulder. Then Dimitri spoke. “Arise, Sir Ashe Gaspard, Lord of House Gaspard.”

“All right, yeah!” Caspar cheered enthusiastically, clapping his hands. The crowd also clapped and cheered, no doubt for Ashe’s many new titles. Ashe still found himself overwhelmed as he stood up. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

_I’ve done it. I’m truly a knight now!_

”The thanks is all mine,” Dimitri told him sincerely.

Ashe shook Gilbert’s hand next. “Thank you, Gilbert.”

”You deserve it,” Gilbert told him.

Ashe then moved to shake Byleth’s hand, but she pushed his hand aside and gave him a hug instead. “I’m so proud of you,” she said into his ear, and Ashe felt tears spring to his eyes. He blinked rapidly to keep them at bay as they parted. “Thank you, Professor.”

”All right,” Dimitri turned to address the crowd with a smile. Caspar grabbed Ignatz’s arm in anticipation. “Who’s ne—”

”HEY DIMITRI!”

Several people jumped at this booming voice. Balthus von Albrecht came running from the entrance of the Cathedral. He physically inserted himself in front of Caspar and Ignatz, but unlike Ashe the crowd immediately complained about him skipping the line. “Dimitri, you’re knighting people right?! Knight me right now! I got this guy after me saying I owe him 25,000 gold! If I get knighted, that erases all my debts right?! Or I can get like an immediate sign-up bonus right?!”

Dimitri stared at Balthus dumbfounded as he quickly knelt on the floor. “Hey you cut the line!” Caspar shouted in protest.

”So did you!” An unfamiliar voice chimed in, causing several people to laugh. 

“I...um...” Dimitri looked to Gilbert for help, but the veteran knight shrugged his shoulders. “That isn’t quite how knighthood works...”

Ashe took that moment to move to stand beside Caspar and Ignatz. “I don’t recall reading anything about knighthood removing personal debts.”

”It doesn’t,” Ignatz said quietly. “Not as far as I know. But I’m not in debt so this isn’t something I have to worry about.” 

“Me either,” Caspar said, stretching his arms over his head. “I guess his best bet then is to become a lord like Ashe, right?”

Ashe shrugged stiffly and forced as smile as they watched Dimitri awkwardly knight a very eager-looking Balthus.

* * *

The sun was setting. Ashe could see the orange sky tinged with pink from where he sat on the top step of the stairwell in the First Floor Dormitories between Linhardt’s room and Raphael’s room. He was loosely holding Gildas in his arms, and the cat had partially crawled over his right shoulder and had stretched his head across his nape. He knew that since night was approaching he needed to get to bed early so that he would be rested for the march tomorrow, but thanks to the day’s events he didn’t feel the least bit tired.

_I’m a knight and I’m a lord. I’ve become a noble and am now the head of House Gaspard. This...This is quite overwhelming._

Perhaps because of the chaos of the day, word had not travel far beyond the Cathedral about his lordship title. Ashe was sort of relieved about it because he didn’t want a lot of people congratulating him about it when he was feeling so many emotions about it at once. He would’ve liked congratulations about his knight title though, but he wasn’t surprised to have not received it when so many people had been knighted that day.

”Hey, Ashe!”

The sound of this voice startled him, and he felt an unexpected jolt in his chest as he swiftly stood up. His sudden movement startled Gildas, and he growled in irritation as he slid off Ashe’s shoulders and into his arms. He looked to his left and immediately smiled as he saw Annette Fantine Dominic race through the open garden gate towards him, waving her arm and laughing enthusiastically. Seeing her good mood made him laugh reflexively as she quickly fixed her attention on Gildas. “Oh, good evening Gildas! You look full of spirits!” she scratched Gildas under his chin, and the grumpy cat’s mood immediately brightened. “Oh, who’s a good boy? Gildas is!”

”He tries to be,” Ashe said, keeping his tone jokingly sheepish. He set Gildas down, and the cat took the opportunity to run in the direction of his room. “What can I do for you, Annette?”

”Oh, that’s right!” Annette straightened and her smile brightened. Ashe’s throat abruptly went dry. “I’ve been thinking and thinking for a way to repay you for getting me my doll back, and I think I found the answer!”

”There’s really no need to repay me,” Ashe reassured her. “I was happy to help you.”

”No, that won’t do at all!” Annette shook her head and pumped her arms with conviction. “I _must_ repay you, especially tonight before we leave! I have decided to repay you by treating your to cake!”

”Cake?” Ashe almost laughed. “Do you mean that new dirt cake Gilbert was talking about?”

”It isn’t dirt though! It’s a confectionary powder made from a plant called _cacao_!”

”Cacao?” Unable to help himself, Ashe made a face. “That sounds a little too similar to the word caca. I’d preferred thinking of it as dirt.”

”Oh no, I’m sure it’s not terrible! They actually call the confectionary _chocolate_ and not cacao after the plant.”

“Well, that’s a little better,” Ashe admitted.

“I heard the cooks in the kitchens say nothing but positive things about it!” Annette continued enthusiastically. “Cacao isn’t native to Fódlan so we’ve never heard of it, but apparently chocolate is actually very delicious! I remember that you like sweets Ashe, so I know that you’ll like this like I would!” She grabbed his sleeve. “I’ve reserved two slices, so please join me!”

Ashe definitely wanted to accept, especially when her blue eyes shined so pleadingly. However he couldn’t help but feel just a little bit...hesitant. “Just two slices? So we wouldn’t be eating with Mercedes?”

Annette shook her head. “Mercie was interested in getting cake, but Sylvain showed up and took her off somewhere. He seemed frantic about something, but wouldn’t tell us what was wrong.” Pink coloring rose to her cheeks and she ducked her head forward slightly as she spoke in a softer tone. “I...don’t think I’ll be seeing her again tonight.”

Ashe flushed and coughed loudly to cover up his own awkwardness. “T-Then I’ll gladly eat cake with you, Annette!”

Annette looked up and smiled at him. “Thank you, Ashe.”

Ashe allowed Annette to pull him through the gardens towards the Dining Hall, and he could feel the turbulent emotions settling inside of him. But Annette always had that affect on him—she spoke and acted with so much energy and enthusiasm, and it was for the most part all positive emotions, and being around her always made _him_ feel more positive. Her positive energy was something he’d desperately needed after they had suppressed Lord Lonato’s rebellion, and her long and arduous study sessions had helped to keep him busy and his mind occupied when the grief and anger swallowed him up and nearly suffocated him.

Whenever he had an ugly thought or ugly feeling, he learned to drown out those thoughts and feelings with Annette’s voice and laughter, and her beautiful smile always worked to bring a smile to his face. That’s why her need to...treat him for finding her doll was strange because _he’d_ felt that he’d needed to repay her for indirectly helping him to cope with his grief.

_But she’s quite insistent so I’ll gladly go along with her._

Ashe followed Annette into the Dining Hall, and was struck by the sweetly delicious smell that filled the large room. Just ahead of them he saw Marianne von Edmund standing at the counter where he used to see Raphael standing often. She had two plates in front of her; one plate with the chocolate cake topped with Albean berries, and the other plate with what looked like a pheasant roast dinner. She was carefully covering both plates and she glanced at a wicker basket on the counter beside her. “Good evening, Marianne,” Ashe greeted her politely.

“Good evening,” Marianne greeted him politely, though she didn’t look up. As he walked past her, Ashe saw that there were a few wrapped items inside her basket. _Ah...is she giving someone gifts?_

There was a winding line to the counter, and it looked like everyone was requesting the new chocolate cake. Ashe looked around the Dining Hall briefly and was surprised to not see Lysithea there. Annette tugged on his sleeve and they cut through the line to get to the Head Chef. “Hi!” Annette greeted her cheerfully. “I reserved two slices of the chocolate cake under Annette!”

The Head Chef checked a list that she was holding and nodded. She waved to another chef, who grabbed two plates with one slice each and brought it over to them. “Would you like your slices plain or topped with Albean berries?”

“Oh, Albean berries sounds amazing!” Annette gushed, clapping her hands together.

“I-It looked good on Marianne’s plate,” Ashe agreed, nodding. “I would like Albean berries as well.”

The Albean berries were in a large bowl behind the counter, and the Head Chef took a spoonful of Albean berries and topped each slice of cake with it. They each took a plate and found seats close to the cooking station sitting across from each other.

“Oh Goddess, this does look delicious!” Annette cheered.

Ashe stared down at the dark cake with trepidation. He tried to sound enthusiastic though. “I-It smells good too, and not like dirt or anything.” Beside him, a Grappler that suspiciously looked like the man who oversaw the Sauna was eating large spoonfuls of the cake without pause.

“Well, let’s not let food go to waste!” Annette said, picking up her fork.

“Y-Yes, lets,” Ashe said, also picking up his fork. Because of Annette’s enthusiasm, and the Head Chef so close by, he didn’t want to seem rude by hesitating eating. But as he collected a couple of Albean berries onto his fork and then sank his fork into the cake, bile rose in his when he saw the cake _melt_ under the drizzle topping. _Oh Goddess, this looks like soft dark mud._ The thought alone made him choke slightly as he held the cake up by his fork. He looked up to see what Annette’s reaction was to tasting the cake, but then he paused.

Annette, like him, was holding up a piece of cake on her fork and was also hesitating. Their eyes met, and after a moment they both laughed awkwardly. “I-It smells good,” Annette said weakly.

“It does,” Ashe agreed.

“I-I guess I’m not used to cake being this color.”

“Me either.” Ashe relaxed slightly.

“But everyone else seems to like it, right? So it should be good!”

“Yes, of course!”

But they both still hesitated.

“It’s good,” the Grappler said gruffly, startling them both. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he got up from the table to take his plate back up.

Ashe looked back at Annette. They both still had their forks up. “H...How about we both eat it at the same time? Like, at the count of three?”

“That’s a good idea,” Annette agreed. “Would you like to count or should I?”

“I’ll let you count.”

“O-Okay.” They both looked down at the cake on their forks. “One…two…three!” Then they quickly shoved the forks into their own mouths.

Ashe was stunned, and almost felt his body melting at the taste in his mouth. He looked at Annette and saw from her expression that she was both shocked an delighted by the taste as well. When Ashe swallowed the slice, he allowed himself to speak. “…This is the most delicious cake I’ve ever eaten.”

Annette smiled warmly at him, and he felt a jolt straight to his toes. “Me, too!”

The chocolate cake was so good that they didn’t bother with conversation as they ate. The cake was rich and creamy and _sweet_ , but Ashe loved it. He understood why so many people were vying for a slice and he felt foolish that he’d dismissed it as a “dirt cake”.

_I’d like to ask them for leftover sacks to bring home with me, but I don’t think there’s going to be any leftover sacks._

The thought of home though made him wince slightly, and reminded him of what awaited him after the war. _I have to reclaim the estate, and get everything in order. I also have to notify my siblings about this so they can move back into the Gaspard estate. But there’s going to be so much that I have to do. Things that I’m not entirely sure of how to do. Should I have accepted His Highness’s offer so quickly?_

“Ashe?”

Ashe looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw Annette’s face close to his. He gaped at her for a moment until he felt something wipe at the corner of his mouth. His gaze lowered and he saw that she was wiping his mouth with her own handkerchief while smiling at him. “You had a smudge there.”

Ashe realized that he had cleaned his plate, and he saw that Annette had cleaned her plate as well. His eyes inadvertently dropped down to her mouth and he saw a smudge of chocolate under her bottom lip. Before he could stop himself, Ashe pulled out his own handkerchief and wiped at her mouth. The motion startled Annette but Ashe smiled reassuringly. “Y-You had a smudge too.”

Annette relaxed and held onto her smile as she slid back into her seat. “Thank you, Ashe.”

“No, thank _you_ ,” Ashe told her. “This cake was wonderful. I-I had thought that it was a mud cake and didn’t want to try it. If you hadn’t invited me to try the cake, I never would’ve experienced chocolate before!”

Annette laughed, a little relieved. “I was soooo excited to try the cake, and it smelled so good that I was certain that it _had_ to taste good! Of course, I got a little scared when I really looked at the cake because—well—it _did_ look a little like mud! Thank you though for giving me the courage to eat it!”

Ashe laughed. “We’ve been giving each other a lot of thanks, haven’t we?”

“I’ve noticed that. It feels like lately we haven’t been able to have a conversation without thanking each other!”

They both laughed, but as their laughter trailed off Ashe found himself out of things to say. He greatly enjoyed Annette’s presence like he always did, but it also felt strange to sit there in silence with her. He smiled at her, and she smiled back at him. “Here, let me take your plate up.”

“Oh no, I can do that,” Annette said, picking up her plate as they stood. Ashe found himself floundering for something else to say as they walked up to the counter to turn in their empty plates, and he felt embarrassed that he didn’t know what to say.

 _S-Should I thank her for always being so good to me? No, we just talked about how much we thank each other! I-I could talk about my new titles, but that sounds like boasting. We’re marching tomorrow…maybe I should tell her how much she means to me?_ The thought though made him flush and he turned his head away from her.

As they turned away from the counter, Ashe found himself blurting out, “Do you like fishing?” He immediately regretted it though and ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Fishing?” Annette at least sounded genuinely curious. She shrugged. “My father loves fishing, but I’ve never really tried it. Would you like to show me?”

“Eh?” Ashe looked at her surprised. He glanced towards the door to their right and saw that she sun had set and it was dark outside. “Right now?”

“Sure, right now!” Annette said encouragingly. “We march on Enbarr tomorrow, right? There’s no better time to learn how to fish than now!”

“O-Oh, okay. Let’s go now!” Ashe grabbed her by the hand, but ‘eeped’ slightly when he realized that he had. But Annette squeezed his hand back as they headed outside and towards the stairs down to the Fishing Pond. Ashe flinched when he heard a loud banging noise, followed by an irritated shout. “Open the door, Bernadetta!”

He looked over his shoulder towards the First Floor Dormitories, but caught Ignatz standing on the landing linking the Dormitories to the Gardens. It looked like he was talking to Petra Macneary, but Ashe couldn’t really tell. He shrugged it off and turned back around as he reached the Fishing Pond with Annette.

“Okay!” Annette said as she grabbed a fishing rod from the bucket. “I cast my line at the end of the dock, right?”

“First we need to add bait to the line,” Ashe said. “I think I may have some…” he patted himself down and checked his pouches.

“You keep fishing bait on you?” Annette asked him. She laughed. “That reminds me of the Professor! One time I saw her fishing, and she pulling out at least ten bags of Herring Bait! I don’t think she has pockets so I don’t know where she kept them all!”

Ashe laughed as well. “That sounds like the Professor. There was one time I lost a book I was reading— _Moon Knight’s Tale_ , I think it was. Well, the Professor found it and when she presented it to me it’s like she did a magic trick! She just reached into her cloak and there it was!”

“Oh my goodness, that happened to me too!” Annette chimed in. “I lost one of my sorcery books once, and it’s like she pulled it out of thin air to give it back to me!”

They both shared another laugh as Ashe checked another pouch. “Oh, here we go!” He pulled out a small bag. “Here’s Herring Bait. We should be able to catch a very nice fish with this!”

“Oh, good!” Annette seemed absolutely giddy, and didn’t even grimace when Ashe attached the bait to the hook. “Okay, do I cast the line now?”

“Yes,” Ashe said. “It may be difficult because it’s night now, but when you cast your line you’ll want to look for a shadow in the water. Different fish have different shadow colors. You’ll see blue shadows, red shadows, and even gold shadows! Then we can either cook the fish or sell the rare ones for a high price!”

“Oh, that also reminds me of the Professor,” Annette said as she readied her rod. “I think she caught a Goddess Messenger fish, but instead of cooking it she took it to this merchant near the Central Building! I don’t know how they did it, but the next time the professor spoke to this merchant, she made over 40,000 gold from selling the Goddess Messenger!”

“I remember that too! She bought all of us new weapons that day!” Ashe nodded at this. “Let’s speak to this merchant then if _we_ catch the Goddess Messenger! This fish has a rainbow shadow!”

“Rainbow shadow! Got it!” Annette quickly cast her line, and Ashe scanned the water for fish shadows. He saw a couple of red shadows briefly, and his heart sank slightly. _I hope we get a rare fish. That was the only Herring Bait I had!_

“I don’t see a rainbow shadow,” Annette said quietly. “Do you, Ashe?”

Ashe shook his head. “We’ll need to reel in the next fish though, or else it’ll take off with our bait.”

“Eh?” Annette leaned forward slightly, her brow furrowed. “That looks like a purple shadow!”

“ _Purple_?!” Ashe shouted, snapping to attention. “Quick! Reel it in, Annette!”

“O-Okay!” Annette began to reel it in, but shrieked as she bucked forward and almost into the Pond. Ashe quickly wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her, but the fishing rod jerked violently in her arms. “W-Whoa! Whoa! I-Is this normal?!”

“Not really!” Ashe shouted, clinging to her tightly. The fish pulled on them so violently though that they both jerked around the dock. “T-This is the _Fódlandy_! It’s the rarest fish in the Pond, rarer than the Goddess Messenger! I-If we’re not careful, we’ll lose it!”

“I won’t lose it!” Annette said with determination. “This fish is mine!”

It was a struggle though, as the fish was determined to _not_ be caught. There were a few instances where Ashe and Annette were both nearly pulled into the Pond, but they stood their ground and continued to struggle with the Fódlandy. Finally, after a few minutes, Annette shouted with exertion and yanked back violently. The line flung back, whipping a giant purple fish into the air, and the momentum knocked them both backwards. Ashe grunted as Annette slammed into him as he landed flat on his back, and he yelped when the Fódlandy landed right on his face.

“Ashe!” Annette shrieked, sitting up and pushing the fish off his face. “Oh my Goddess Ashe, are you all right?!”

Ashe was still catching his breath and nursing his side as he slowly sat up. His face felt sticky and wet, but then he saw the offending fish flopping on the deck in front of him. He looked up and saw the concern and fear in Annette’s eyes and his emotions cooled. He smiled at her, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw her eyes brighten in relief. “Never felt better.”

* * *

They quickly took the Fódlandy to the merchant near the Central Building. When the merchant explained that they would make more money if they checked back in a couple of weeks, Ashe’s heart sank. _We’re marching tomorrow! We don’t have a couple of weeks!_

However, the merchant still offered 9,000 gold for the Fódlandy, and Ashe almost felt his eyes bulge out of his head. The merchant at the Marketplace only offered 2,000 gold for Fódlandy’s!

_Well, it’s a good thing we came here first._

Annette had caught the fish, so the 9,000 gold was rightfully hers. When they left the merchant together, Ashe was surprised when Annette quickly took a seat at a bench in front of the Classrooms. “One second, Ashe,” she told him.

“O-Okay,” Ashe said. He watched her count out the gold coins and separate them into a different bag. Ashe realized what she was doing and waved his hand. “Annette, don’t—”

“Ashe, I wouldn’t have caught the fish without you,” Annette said, glancing up at him briefly. “It’s only right that we split the money from the sale of the fish.”

“But _you_ cast the line and _you_ successfully caught the fish. A-And you did it on your first try! I don’t even think the Professor caught it on her first try!”

“Perhaps, but she did it alone. I had you to help me.” She quickly tied up the second bag and held it out to him. “Here, this 4,500 gold is yours.”

“I-I…” Ashe swallowed thickly and looked down at the bag. “A…Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Annette said with conviction. “I don’t need 9,000 gold. I’m happy with just 4,500 gold.”

After a moment, Ashe hesitantly took the second bag from her. “T-Than—”

“Hey, remember what we talked about!” Annette said. She jumped to her feet and wagged her finger playfully at him. “We’re thanking each other too much! We should be happy with the good deeds that we do for each other!”

Ashe laughed, and tied the bag to his belt. It felt like a heavy weight at his hip. “Well, I appreciate this anyways.” He looked down at the bag before thinking out loud, “I could put this money towards rebuilding the region.”

“Rebuilding the region?” Annette echoed with confusion.

Ashe looked at her and flushed with embarrassed. “O-Oh, that’s right. You haven’t heard, have you?” He gestured to his chest. “I was knighted today, along with a bunch of other people.”

“Oh, congratulations!” Annette cheered. She clapped her hands and gave him a quick hug, and Ashe blushed even harder at feeling her arms around his shoulders. She quickly pulled away and pouted at him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were knighted? I would’ve treated you to dinner in addition to cake!”

“I-It’s no big deal—”

“‘No big deal’?! Ashe, you’ve been _dreaming_ about being a knight for years! Your dream has come true, and you think it’s no big deal?!”

“I-It actually wasn’t just knighting,” Ashe said, raising his hands slightly. “His Highness and the Professor appointed me the new head of House Gaspard, and the leader of the Gaspard region. I am now Lord Ashe Gaspard.”

“A _lord_?!” Annette gasped. She pressed her hand over her mouth. “You’re a lord, Ashe?! That’s incredible! You’re probably the first Crestless Lord in the history of all of Fódlan! Your name will be in textbooks for _ages_!”

Hearing this did lift his spirits a little, but Ashe couldn’t get rid of the uncertainty in the core of his being. “I-I do like the idea of being remembered like that, but I think it was too hasty in accepting their offer.”

“How do you mean? Don’t you want to lead the Gaspard region? You’re Lord Lonato’s oldest surviving son! You deserve it!”

“Several people have told me this Annette, but I have _no idea_ how to be a lord!” Ashe said, unable to keep the frustration from his voice. “I know nothing about governance, nothing about economics, nothing about truly leading! I-I don’t know what I would _do_ as Lord of an entire region!” He wrung a hand through his hair and looked away. Now that his insecurities were out in the open, the words were rushing out of them. “I-I’m really scared that I’m going to fail those people! They’ve suffered so much for so long and I want to help them, but I don’t know what I’m doing! I’m scared that I’m just going to make everything worse for everyone!”

Ashe was breathing heavily and he pressed a hand over his eyes. He was scared, so scared of many things. He was scared of the battle tomorrow and he was also scared of the future.

_Assuming that I HAVE a future after this battle. If I die in tomorrow’s battle, will my brother or sister become the new ruler of House Gaspard? But they know even less than I do about how to make the region better!_

Ashe felt a hand press down over his gently. He looked up and he saw Annette smiling at him sadly. He swallowed thickly, feeling tears of frustration stinging his eyes again. He didn’t want to look so pathetic in front of her, but being around her always seemed to drag raw emotions out of him. He knew that she didn’t do this intentionally, but it happened because of how strongly he felt for her. He pressed his lips together to prevent himself from saying anything else.

It was Annette who spoke first. “Say, Ashe.”

Ashe nodded stiffly.

“Why don’t I help you?”

Ashe gaped at her. It took a moment for him to find the words to speak. “E-Excuse me?”

“Well, sure. I was raised in nobility as my uncle’s heir so I think I can assist you with overseeing the Gaspard region. Here.” She handed him her own bag of gold. “I’ll even financially contribute to the reconstruction of the Gaspard region. Now you have 9,000 gold to start.”

“A-Annette, are you sure about this?”

“Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure.”

“But I can’t just put you in that position, Annette! That would require you to make a _years_ long commitment to me! I know that you have your own dreams and aspirations, and I have you sacrifice yourself or the finances just because I don’t know what I’m doing! I-I appreciate your concern for me, but I cannot accept your money or your help! I will find a way to govern my region properly, you don’t have to worry about me!”

Annette’s smile faded, and Ashe’s heart sank. She closed her eyes and lowered her head while frowning deeply. Ashe felt terrible that he’d ruined her good mood and was concerned that he’d offended her, but he didn’t feel good about demanding so much of her to properly run his region.

He didn’t like the idea of putting her in that position.

“So Ashe,” Annette said, her tone low. “You’re going to make me say it, will you?”

Ashe blinked once, and then twice. “…Say what?”

Annette suddenly lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and slamming her mouth over his. Ashe was so startled that he tumbled backwards and fell right on his back in the grass. Both of their bags burst open and gold coins spilled onto the grass on either side of Ashe.

Ashe’s fall didn’t cause Annette to break the kiss, and Ashe stared at her wide-eyed. After a moment she broke the kiss and sat up. Ashe gulped when he saw her glaring down at him, tears visibly stinging her eyes.

“Don’t you get it, Ashe?!” Annette snapped at him. “I love you!”

Ashe’s jaw dropped as his heart tightened. He abruptly sat up. “W…What?!”

“I—love—you!” Annette enunciated the words furiously. Tears were now spilling down her reddening cheeks. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Ashe! I-I don’t know how long, but I knew I loved you when you overcame your fear of the dark to find my doll! _That’s_ why I want to help you govern the Gaspard region! Don’t you get that I was making a marriage proposal?! I’m trying to ask for your hand in marriage!”

“Love…marriage…?” Ashe breathed slowly. “Y…You _love_ me?”

“Yes, of course I love you! I feel good when I’m around you! You’ve never made me feel foolish a-about my interests or anything!” Annette scrubbed at her face. “You’re one of the easiest people to talk to! I-I feel confident and happy when I’m with you! I-I’ve never even had a disagreement with you! I’ve had disagreements with Mercie even, but never with you! You’ve been so good to me, Ashe! Why would I want anyone else but you?!”

Annette continued to scrub at her face with her sleeve, and she was scrubbing so hard that Ashe was concerned she was give herself rashes. He grabbed her wrists to stop her, but she still ducked her head. His heart was pounding so strongly that he thought it would burst through his chest, and he tried to calm.

He took a moment to breathe so that his voice would be steady. “I love you, too.”

Annette’s head snapped up. She was still crying, but now she looked shocked and not angry. “You’ve helped me out in ways that I can’t describe in words. Your friendship and your care helped me deal with my grief during a very difficult time, Annette. You’re compassionate and full of energy and life. I-It’s easy for me to overcome fears and insecurities when it’s for your sake. When I saw how happy you were when I got your doll back…” he trailed off and shook his head. “But, I felt like I wasn’t really good enough for you. I-I was a thief and the ward of a lord. I did terrible things when I was younger, and I didn’t have anything to offer you. Now that I _do_ have something to offer you, it’s just a burden of responsibilities. I…” he swallowed again. “If you want to marry me though, I would love to be your husband.”

Annette gasped loudly, and hugged him tightly again. “Thank you! Thank you so much! We’ll win tomorrow, and then we’ll go home and make everything right! I’ll do everything I can to make you happy!”

Ashe laughed softly as he returned her hug. “You already have.”

“So you two are getting married, then?”

Ashe and Annette quickly looked up and saw Gilbert standing over them. Ashe felt a pang of panic briefly, but relaxed when he saw Gilbert’s smile. _Does…Is he okay with this?_

“Father!” Annette snapped, jumping to her feet. Based on the anger in her voice, Ashe guessed that she hadn’t seen his smile. “I proposed to Ashe and he said yes! After we capture Enbarr and defeat Edelgard, we’re getting married! I’m moving to the Gaspard region and that’s final!”

“Sounds like you both have everything planned out,” Gilbert said, his smile widening. “That’s good.”

“You—what?” Annette however was still surprised. “Y-You’re not mad?”

“My daughter took initiative to propose marriage to a fine young man. A man I have a lot of respect for, and someone I can trust my daughter to. Why would I be upset?”

Ashe was relieved that his suspicion was confirmed, and he also quickly stood up. He bowed deeply to Gilbert. “I-I swear to you Gilbert that I will take very good care of Annette!”

“Hey, _I’m_ supposed to be taking care of you Ashe!” Annette protested, though her tone became playful.

“O-Oh, sorry,” Ashe said around a laugh.

Gilbert himself chuckled softly. “I know you both will take good care of each other, and take good care of your people. I only ask that you both take care of each other tomorrow, so that you can make the wedding and take care of your people.”

“That’s right!” Annette said, pumping a fist. “We’re going to win, and we’re going to get married!”

Ashe laughed again, feeling a great weight be lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he didn’t know how to be a lord, but he knew he could rely on Annette to help him.

_We’ll just have to be victorious tomorrow. I know we can be._

**Author's Note:**

> Update Edit: I can’t believe I forgot to mention this. I don’t know if the cat that Ashe and Caspar has a name, so I named him Gildas. Gildas was Lord Lonato’s middle name. ;_;
> 
> I had noticed that none of the dishes in Three Houses included chocolate (which I love), which led to my conclusion that chocolate just doesn’t exist in Fódlan. So now they have it in my fanfic, lol.
> 
> Note: This was originally a two-part fanfic, but Chapter Two proved to not be as long as I thought it would be so I combined the two chapters into one.


End file.
